EVENT INDUSTRY

Every event organizer knows that feeling: You ve made the last phone call, you ve ticked off the last item on the checklist, you ve made sure that ambitious trade show booth will actually fit in a 10 10 square and you ve done it all while bringing your event in under budget. Now all that s left is to sit back and watch everything run itself.

Hah, just kidding.

In event management, despite the best planning, changes, mishaps, and the unavoidable sometimes happen, and they seem to invariably happen two minutes before showtime, and just as crew is donning their headsets. Maybe the hotel freezer broke and the desserts have melted, maybe the toilets back up, or an unintended power issue arises and the fuse blows right before the main networking session. You can t predict every problem, but we believe an event planner isn t just paid to create an event, we re paid to make the event as stress-free as possible for the client, and that includes becoming an expert in putting out fires. In an industry where excuses don t fly, we ve found these tips useful when bulletproofing our events.

Build it into the budget Set aside a chunk of your operating budget to give you some room to maneuver, and make sure that uh-oh money is sitting there until the event has wrapped. Happily, it s rare you ll need to use it, but when you do need to buy 800 mini chocolate pies at the last minute, it s a lifesaver.

Beef up your black book Have multiple suppliers ready to meet each of your needs. Most of us repeatedly work with a series of vendors we like and can trust to get the job done, but they have their uh-oh moments as well, and if you ve got good contacts or a backup on speed dial, it s that much more likely that you can save the day and work the magic your clients expect from you.

Know who does what Make sure you ve been introduced to all they key people. Who s the contact for the building maintenance crew? Who can you contact during the event in case you need sign-off on a decision?

Create swift lines of communication Make sure you can get in touch with every member of your staff quickly and efficiently so your team can respond to problems before they get out of hand.

Have a solid starting plan In live events, these situations happen. They happen on every event. Have the strongest plan you can for what you know. Having this in place allows you the time and ability to handle the new pieces that come your way.